An Inquiry into the Military History of Religion (with some Fiction…)

Prince Valiant’s Expedition

With the Valley of Camelot and the lands to the south occupied by the Mordred’s forces, Prince Valiant took the remnants of his own army, along with a few refugees and marched north and east. Among these refugees were a group calling themselves the Penitent Order of St. Cuthbert.

Little did Prince Valiant know, was that Mordred, the son of the witch Morgana, had set a trap for him, amid the ruins of a small town.

Mordred commanded his own small band of devote knights, barbarian mercenaries, and goat-like beastmen. Morgana also sent her lover, Accolon, with an assorted array of cultists and other fell creatures, to help her son. These arrayed themselves on top of and around a hill near the ruins.

Accolon had is own plan, however, to summon the bones of Arges, a cyclops which had been slain and buried beneath the hill in the days before Brutus came to Britain. The cyclops was to be powerful ally, but it required an elaborate ritual conjure it.

As Prince Valiant’s knights, squires, and militia approached at some distance to the town, they saw the fires alight from the hilltop. The ritual had begun.

Mordred cursed. The ambush was ruined. Still ordered his men forward, using himself as bait.

Valiant’s simmering hatred Mordred, the origins of which goes back to the days when Camelot was at peace, made the young prince impetuous. He ordered his mounted knights and squires to charge.

Mordred’s barbarians mercenaries stood their ground as Valiant and his men charged into their midst.

Valiant, nearly overwhelmed, dropped his mace and drew his Singing Sword. The barbarians cringed in terror. Valiant began hacking them down, trampling them beneath his horse, Caliburn. The barbarians routed. Then Mordred and his elite guard stepped into the melee.

Soon Mordred and Valiant met face-to-face in single combat before the eyes of God. Valiant’s Singing Sword clashed and clanged off Mordred’s enchanted blade and mystical armor.

Mordred hacked at Valiant’s horse, nearly dismounting the Prince. Valiant’s mounted squires, having run off the remnants of the barbarians, came charging into the combat. Amid the chaos of the charge Mordred and Valiant became separated.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Accolon and his acolytes had completed their ritual.

The bones of Arges rose from the base of the hill, and lumbered forward toward the enemy. At first the militia and men-at-arms on food were terrified for the monstrosity.

Yet it was the Penitent Order of St. Cuthbert, who had flagellated themselves into a holy fury, who led the charge.

Soon the titan found itself surrounded, and though it slew Penitent and men-at-arms alike, it tumbled and fell from hacking axes, bashing bludgeons, and slashing swords.

Upon seeing the fate of his champion, Accolon and his followers fled the field. Prince Valiant and his men searched for Mordred’s body among the fallen, but it could not be found.

Valiant then ordered his troops to continue with the expedition with the hopes of finding refuge in the North where the lands hadn’t been ravaged by war…

The preceding is a battle report for the tabletop wargame: Lion Rampant.

We used a number of figures for the scenario, produced by Black Tree Design, Games Workshop, Reaper Miniatures, Grenadier, Wargames Foundry, and other miniature manufacturers.

The story doesn’t end here. Another “chapter” is forthcoming, which will be about certain adventurers going on a quest in the aftermath of this battle.

See also, Mini Monday on Sunday for a better picture of some of the key miniatures involved in this scenario.